Page 23 - Hopwell Presentation (Issue) 08-02-2021

A “learning” community
Education as a resource
Secondary schools are typically put in the middle of the new development, to make travel to it as efficient as possible on the basis of the “red line” catchment. We would argue for a more holistic approach, recognising that people do not live their lives on the basis of arbitrary administrative or planning boundaries, and would look to place this provision to be accessible from Hopwell, Ockbrook and Borrowash.
This creates an opportunity to maintain “green space” between the old and new, while simultaneously knitting them together with a shared amenity.
And it allows this campus to be the new heart of the community, with shared facilities and amenities that are flexible, to maximise usage and the contribution they make. The campus ties together education for all levels and ages, and community activities, groups and societies.
The current masterplan suggests that there would only be one primary school, and one secondary school. A single primary school for c.4,000 homes seems like a very low provision, and we wonder if this is because there is scope to expand the provision at Ockbrook and Borrowash. This could be a powerful mechanism to re-imagine these places.
Eastern Quarry education & community campus